Love's Labour's Lost (Arden Shakespeare)

  165 gig spinning-top

  166 profound wise

  166 tuning a jig singing a lively song/dancing

  167 Nestor Trojan leader, famed for his wisdom

  167 push-pin children's game

  168 Timon Athenian notorious for his misanthropy

  168 idle toys trivial games/concerns

  172 caudle medicinal gruel

  174 over-view inspection

  176 honest honorable

  182 pruning me preening myself

  184 state posture/bearing

  186 Soft! Wait a moment!

  187 true honest

  188 post ride quickly (away)

  190 present gift/written document

  192 makes treason is treason doing

  194 mar spoil (proverbial: "to make or mar")

  197 person parson (i.e. Nathaniel)

  197 misdoubts distrusts

  204 toy trifle

  205 passion powerful emotion

  207 whoreson bastard (son of a whore)

  207 loggerhead blockhead

  210 mess four dining companions

  212 pick-purses pickpockets

  216 turtles turtledoves--i.e. lovers

  217 sirs address acceptable for both men and women

  218 Walk ... folk i.e. the honest people will leave 223 cross thwart

  223 cause ... born i.e. fate

  224 of all hands in any case

  225 rent torn

  227 rude ignorant, rough

  227 savage uncivilized

  227 Ind India

  228 opening dawning

  229 vassal submissive

  231 peremptory determined

  231 eagle-sighted eagles were supposed to be able to look directly into the sun 234 fury frenzy

  236 She i.e. Rosaline

  236 attending attendant

  236 scarce ... light barely visible

  238 but were it not

  238 my love i.e. the woman I love

  239 the culled sovereignty those chosen as the best

  241 worthies beings of excellence

  241 dignity (supreme) excellence

  242 wants is lacking

  242 want desire

  243 gentle well-born

  244 Fie expression of disgust

  244 painted artificial

  245 of for

  246 passes surpasses

  246 then ... blot thus any praise is inadequate and defames her 247 fivescore winters worn a hundred years old

  249 varnish improve, give luster to

  250 the crutch i.e. old age

  250 cradle's infancy i.e. youth

  252 black as ebony dark/unattractive

  254 were felicity would be bliss

  255 book i.e. Bible

  257 If ... look unless beauty learns how to look from Rosaline's eye 258 fair beautiful/pale

  258 full so black so completely dark-complexioned

  260 hue complexion/color

  260 school academy (though some editors emend to "scowl" or "stole") 261 beauty's crest i.e. the sun

  261 becomes graces, befits

  262 resembling ... light when they pose as angels

  264 It i.e. she/her beauty

  264 that the fact that

  264 painting ... hair cosmetics and wigs

  265 doters infatuated fools

  265 false aspect deceptive appearance

  267 favour ... days face inverts what is conventionally thought beautiful 268 native blood natural redness, a rosy complexion

  268 counted painting considered artificial (i.e. to be rouge) 269 red natural rosiness

  269 dispraise disparagement

  272 colliers coal vendors

  273 crack boast

  275 come in expose themselves to

  276 colours cosmetics/sparse natural color

  280 then i.e. on doomsday

  281 vile worthless/unattractive

  282 here's i.e. Longaville's shoe

  284 dainty light, delicate/refined

  285 goes walks

  285 what upward lies i.e. what is up her skirt

  289 prove demonstrate using logic

  291 there that's the point

  291 flattery ... evil pleasing self-deception to justify our oath-breaking 293 quillets subtle distinctions/quibbles

  294 salve healing ointment

  295 need necessary

  296 Have at you let me at it/here goes

  296 affection's ... arms love's soldiers

  299 state majesty/status

  302 And where ... the following twenty-three lines are enclosed within solidi because, although they appear in the early printed texts, they seem to be Shakespeare's first draft of the lines that follow; they should be cut in performance 310 Promethean fire i.e. illumination (Prometheus stole fire from the gods to give to mankind) 329 fiery numbers passionate poems

  331 slow arts dull or more serious learning

  331 keep occupy

  332 barren unresponsive, unfruitful

  335 immured walled up

  337 Courses runs/chases

  337 power faculty/function

  339 Above ... offices beyond their ordinary abilities

  343 the ... stopped even the alert thief hears nothing

  344 sensible sensitive

  345 cockled having a shell

  346 Bacchus Roman god of wine

  346 gross inferior, coarse

  347 For as for

  348 climbing ... Hesperides Hercules' eleventh labor was to pick the golden apples from the garden of the Hesperides 349 Subtle wily

  349 Sphinx mythological creature who killed anyone who couldn't answer her riddle 350 Apollo Greek sun god, also god of music

  353 durst dares

  354 tempered blended

  358 still ... fire continually with the heavenly fire stolen by Prometheus 359 academes academies

  361 Else otherwise

  361 aught anything

  365 loves is loved by/inspires love in/is a friend to

  366 authors creators

  367 whom may pun on "womb"

  368 once for once/only once

  370 religion within the boundaries of our beliefs

  371 charity ... law biblical allusion: "he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law" (Romans 13:8) 374 Advance your standards raise up your flags (with phallic connotations) 374 upon them to them (with sexual connotations)

  375 Pell-mell with no regard for order/at close quarters (sexual connotations) 375 be first advised first take care

  376 get ... them make sure the sun is in their eyes (thus giving you the advantage; puns on "[be]get the son") 377 dealing puns on sense of "having sex"

  377 glozes elaborate speeches

  382 attach seize (legal term)

  384 strange novel, unusual, exceptional

  384 solace entertain

  387 Forerun run before

  389 betime happen

  389 fitted used appropriately

  390 Allons! "Let's go!" (French)

  390 Sowed ... corn wheat won't be harvested if weeds are planted 391 whirls ... measure is distributed evenly

  392 Light merry/frivolous/promiscuous

  393 copper small coins

  393 treasure vaginal connotations (plagues in previous line suggests sexual disease) 1 Satis quod sufficit "what is provided is sufficient" (i.e. "enough is as good as a feast") 2 reasons observations

  2 dinner main meal eaten in the middle of the day

  3 sententious full of wise remarks

  4 affection affectation

  4 audacious bold

  5 opinion arrogance

  5 strange new

  6 quondam (the) "other"

  7 intituled entitled

  7 nominated named

  9 Novi ... te "I know the man as well as I know you"

  10 peremptory determined

  10 filed smooth

  12 thrasonical boastful

  12 picked fastidious

  13 peregrinate af
fectedly foreign (i.e. with the manner of one who has traveled) 14 table-book notebook

  16 staple fiber/material

  16 argument subject matter

  16 fanatical extravagant/flamboyant

  17 phantasimes fantastical people

  17 insociable unsociable

  17 point-device over-precise

  18 rackers of orthography torturers of correct spelling

  18 fine thinly/affectedly; alternatively, a misprint for "sine b" ("without the letter b") 20 clepeth calls

  21 vocatur "is called"

  22 abhominable plays on the popular misconception that the word was derived from Latin ab homine--i.e. "away from man/unnatural"

  23 insinuateth suggests, i.e. drives me to

  23 insanie insanity

  23 Ne intelligis, domine? "Do you understand, sir?"

  25 Laus ... intelligo "Praise God, I understand well"

  26 Priscian ... scratched i.e. your Latin is slightly wrong (Priscian was an ancient grammarian whose works were still used in the sixteenth century) 28 Videsne quis venit? "Do you see who is coming?"

  29 Video et gaudeo "I see and I rejoice"

  30 Chirrah! either mispronunciation of "sirrah" or the Greek chaere ("hail") 31 Quare "why"

  36 alms-basket charity basket of food for the poor

  37 eaten ... word puns on pronunciation of Moth's name as mot ("word" in French) 38 long ... head tall

  39 honorificabilitudinitatibus state of being honored, supposedly the longest word in Latin 40 flap-dragon edible object, such as a raisin (plucked from burning brandy and swallowed as part of the game of flap-dragon) 41 peal loud uproar/bell ringing

  42 lettered educated (Moth understands "literate")

  43 hornbook paper displaying the alphabet, numbers, prayers etc. protected by a thin layer of horn 45 pueritia "childishness," i.e. child

  46 Ba sound made by a sheep

  46 silly foolish

  48 Quis "who"

  48 consonant nonentity, since it cannot be sounded without vowels 51 i interrupted by Moth, Holofernes inadvertently identifies himself (I) as the sheep

  52 concludes it finishes the list/proves my point

  52 o, u i.e. "oh you/ewe"

  53 Mediterraneum Mediterranean

  54 touch hit (scored against an opponent)

  54 venue thrust (in fencing)

  54 Snip, snap remarking on Moth's quick wit; "snip-snap" is also "smart repartee"

  54 home on the target

  56 wit-old pun on "wittold" or "wittol"--i.e. a contented cuckold 57 figure figure of speech

  58 Horns i.e. of cuckoldry

  59 disputes reason

  60 gig spinning top

  62 manu cita "with a ready hand"

  65 halfpenny i.e. little

  66 pigeon-egg i.e. small egg

  66 discretion good judgment

  67 wert were

  68 ad dunghill corruption of ad unguem, i.e. "to the fingernail," exact in detail 71 Arts-man scholar

  71 preambulate (let us) walk

  72 barbarous uncivilized

  72 charge-house school

  74 mons plays on mons veneris, pubic mound 76 sans "without" (French)

  77 affection desire

  78 congratulate pay respects to

  78 posteriors buttocks, i.e. later parts

  79 rude ignorant

  80 generous noble

  80 liable apt

  81 congruent suitable

  81 measurable fitting

  82 culled chosen

  84 familiar close friend

  85 inward private

  86 courtesy manners (in wearing your hat)

  87 apparel cover

  88 designs plans

  89 by the world mild oath

  91 excrement that which grows out of the body, such as hair and nails; also, feces 92 sweet heart i.e. dear friend

  93 recount no fable am not telling untruths

  95 all of all essence

  97 chuck chick (term of endearment)

  98 ostentation public display

  98 antic extravagant spectacle

  99 firework i.e. fireworks display

  101 withal with this

  102 end purpose

  103 Nine Worthies popular subject for entertainments, featuring three Jews (Joshua, David, and Judas Maccabaeus), three pagans (Hector of Troy, Alexander the Great, and Julius Caesar), and three Christians (Arthur, Charlemagne, and Godfrey of Bouillon) 104 entertainment spending of

  107 illustrate illustrious

  113 swain i.e. Costard

  113 great ... joint i.e. he has a big build (possible phallic joke) 114 pass pass for/represent

  114 Pompey the Great famous Roman general of the first century BC

  116 club play on penis size

  117 have audience be heard

  117 in minority as a child

  118 enter entrance

  118 strangling a snake as a baby, Hercules strangled two snakes sent by Juno to kill him 119 apology formal explanation

  120 device scheme

  128 attend listen

  129 fadge works out, succeeds

  131 Via "come along"

  135 make one take part

  136 tabor small drum

  136 hay winding country dance

  2 fairings gifts

  3 A ... diamonds! presumably an ornamental lady's portrait surrounded by diamonds 8 margent margin

  9 fain ... name obliged to place his seal over Cupid's name (as he had written everywhere) 10 godhead i.e. Cupid's

  10 wax grow (puns on the wax of the seal; plays on idea of an enlarging penis) 11 five ... boy a child since the world was created

  12 shrewd cunning/mischievous

  12 unhappy trouble-causing

  12 gallows someone who deserves to be hanged

  13 a ... sister i.e. she died for love

  14 heavy sorrowful

  15 light merry/light-hearted/promiscuous

  17 grandam grandmother

  19 dark hidden

  19 mouse term of affection

  19 light word frivolous talk/word "light"

  20 condition disposition

  22 taking ... snuff trimming the wick/taking offense (proverbial) 23 darkly obscurely/enigmatically

  24 Look what whatever

  24 do it plays on sense of "have sex"

  25 light wench i.e. unchaste

  26 not i.e. not the same as

  27 weigh esteem

  27 that's that means

  28 past ... cure there's no point worrying about what can't be helped (proverbial); some editors transpose "care" and "cure"

  29 bandied exchanged, tossed to and fro

  29 set game (of tennis/wit)

  30 favour love token

  32 would wish

  36 numbers true poetic meter correct

  36 numbering enumeration/calculation

  38 fairs beautiful women

  41 letters lettering

  41 praise content

  43 text B elaborately written capital B, possibly for "black" or "Berowne"

  43 copy-book writing practice book

  44 'Ware beware

  44 pencils fine paintbrushes

  44 Let ... debtor i.e. I'll not owe you an insult, I'll get my own back (proverbial) 45 red dominical red lettering used to mark Sundays of the church year in calendars 45 golden also used to mark Sundays or Easter, or a reference to Katherine's hair 46 O's possibly small scars caused by smallpox

  47 pox curse (may pick up on the idea of smallpox scars)

  47 beshrew curse

  47 shrews vexatious, scolding women

  51 twain two

  54 translation expression

  55 simplicity foolishness/lack of skill

  60 would wish

  60 these ... part perhaps Maria has bound the chain around her hands 62 purchase deserve, earn

  64 in by th'week fully ensnared

  66 the season for the right time

  66 o
bserve the times keep to the rules

  67 prodigal lavish, excessive

  67 bootless useless

  69 make ... jests make him feel grateful even for Rosaline's proud mockery of him 70 pert aunt like Folio's "pertaunt" (Quarto "perttaunt") is unexplained: perhaps "like a lively older woman" (or with French tante for "aunt"?), though many emendations have been proposed, including "planet-like," "fortune-like," and "pair-taunt-like" (supposedly a strong hand at cards) 70 o'ersway overrule

  71 his fate controller of his destiny

  72 surely securely

  74 warrant authorization

  77 gravity seriousness/respectability

  77 wantonness foolish, uncontrolled, desirous behavior

  78 note stigma/reproach

  79 dote behave foolishly

  80 all ... simplicity the wise man will use his intelligence to demonstrate the wisdom of folly 86 Arm prepare (for combat)

  86 Encounters mounted are skirmishes are prepared

  88 surprised ambushed

  89 Muster assemble (like troops)

  91 Saint Denis patron saint of France

  91 to against

  92 charge load/fire

  92 breath i.e. words

  92 scout spy

  93 sycamore tree associated with melancholy

  95 purposed intended

  96 might behold addressed saw approaching

  98 by nearby

  99 overhear hear told again

  100 by and by shortly

  102 conned learned

  102 embassage message

  103 Action appropriate gestures

  103 accent verbal delivery

  105 ever and anon every now and then

  105 made a doubt voiced their fear (that)

  106 majestical regal

  106 put him out disconcert him/make him forget his lines 112 wag mischievous young man

  113 rubbed his elbow gesture of satisfaction

  113 fleered grinned

  115 with ... thumb i.e. snapping his fingers

  116 Via! "Come along!"

  117 capered leaped/danced joyfully

  118 turned ... toe pirouetted

  121 spleen ridiculous ludicrous fit of merriment

  122 check restrain/reprimand

  125 Like ... guess no rhyme for this line, so a line may be missing 126 parley enter into conversation

  127 love-feat perhaps a misprint for "love-suit"

  128 several individual

  130 gallants fine gentlemen/suitors

  130 tasked tested

  132 grace privilege

  133 Despite of suit in spite of entreaty

  134 Hold ... dear these two lines might be a first draft of the two that follow 138 change exchange

  139 removes exchanges

  140 most in sight conspicuously

  142 cross thwart

  145 counsels private intentions

  145 unbosom disclose

  146 loves mistook i.e. the wrong women

  146 withal with this

  148 visages displayed faces visible, i.e. unmasked 150 to the death i.e. we'd rather fight to the death than 151 penned composed

  151 render yield

  151 grace favor

  153 kill ... heart discourage his affection

  154 part remembered lines/intentions

  156 be out has forgotten his lines

  158 theirs ours i.e. their fun our amusement

  159 intended their intended

  159 Blackamoors attendants costumed and/or made up to look like black men 163 taffeta silk material, often used for making masks